What is an article? Basically, an article is an
adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.
English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to
specific or particular nouns;a/an is used to modify
non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.
the = definite article
a/an = indefinite article
For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say,
"Let's read abook," I mean any book rather than a
specific book.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group. For
example, "I just saw the most popular movie of
the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the
most popular. Therefore, we use the.
"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For
example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're
not talking about a specific movie. We're talking
about any movie. There are many movies, and I want
to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in
mind.
Let's look at each kind of article a little more
closely.
Indefinite Articles: a and an
"A" and "an" signal that the noun
modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For
example:
- "My
daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This
refers to any dog. We don't know which dog
because we haven't found the dog yet.
- "Somebody
call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a
specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available.
- "When
I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're
talking about a single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant.
There are probably several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.
Remember, using a or an depends on the sound
that begins the next word. So...
- a + singular noun beginning with
a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
- an + singular noun beginning with
a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot;an orphan
- a + singular noun beginning with
a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e.
begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle
- an + nouns starting with silent
"h": an hour
- a + nouns starting with a
pronounced "h": a horse
- In
some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical,"
you can use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.
A historical event is worth recording.
Remember that these rules also apply when you use
acronyms:
Introductory Composition
at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the University. Therefore, an
ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English 106 instructors.
Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms
start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds:
An MSDS (material safety
data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan (Spill Prevention Control
and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the worst.
If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice
between a and an depends on the initial
sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article:
- a broken egg
- an unusual problem
- a European country (sounds like
'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)
Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles
are used to indicate membership in a group:
- I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as
teachers.)
- Brian
is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of
the people known as Irish.)
- Seiko
is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is
a member of the group of people known as Buddhists.)
Definite Article: the
The definite article is used before singular and
plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The signals that the noun is
definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. For example:
"The dog that bit me ran
away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit
me.
"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my
cat!" Here, we're talking about aparticular policeman. Even if we
don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman because it
is the one who saved the cat.
"I saw the elephant at the
zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably there is
only one elephant at the zoo.
Count and Noncount
Nouns
The can be used with
noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.
- "I
love to sail over the water" (some specific body
of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).
- "He
spilled the milk all over the floor"
(some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or
"He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).
"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.
- "I
need a bottle of water."
- "I
need a new glass of milk."
Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a
water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.
Geographical use of the
There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.
Do not use the before:
- names
of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands,the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
- names
of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
- names
of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
- names
of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes
likethe Great Lakes
- names
of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains
likethe Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
- names
of continents (Asia, Europe)
- names
of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like theAleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands
Do use the before:
- names
of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific
- points
on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
- geographical
areas: the Middle
East, the West
- deserts,
forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula
Omission of Articles
Some common types of nouns that don't take an article
are:
- Names
of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English,
Spanish, Russian (unless you are referring to the population of
the nation: "The Spanish are known for their
warm hospitality.")
- Names
of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball
- Names
of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer
science
